Page 78 of With a Grain of Salt

"Come here," he says again. Rather than looking around and wondering who would see me, I go to him, letting him cup my face in that perfect way he does. I find myself lifting my mouth to his, meeting him in the middle rather than making him come all the way to me even though I know he would.

I expect something a little sultrier than what he gives me when he pulls back after one tempting sweep of his tongue against mine.

"You drive me utterly insane," he whispers when he pulls his head back, eyes still locked on my lips for a long moment before he meets my gaze.

I chew the inside of my cheek to keep from making confessions I know better than to voice.

"Do you need to stop anywhere in town before we go pick up Larkin?"

I have a few things in mind that we could do before getting her, but none of them are very responsible.

"Can't think of anything," I tell him.

"That's a shame," he whispers, making me smile to know that his head was in the same place as mine. "I missed you today."

I swear this man could charm the pants off a nun, but the sincerity in his voice, telling me that he really did miss me, is what I focus on.

"I missed you too," I confess, my breath catching when he seems surprised for me to say it back.

"What's your position on fucking in a truck?" he asks out of nowhere.

"Usually on all fours," I say with a smile.

He huffs a quick laugh before his eyes grow dark. "I don't want to hear about you fucking other guys."

"I had a life before you declared me yours."

There's something about the sound that bubbles in his chest that makes me think of him as a feral animal that has a hard time controlling his actions right now. I haven't fully decided if he came after me that I'd stop him.

That's not a hundred percent true. I might tell him to wait before asking whose house is closer, mine or his.

"You keep looking at my mouth like that, baby," he warns as he presses a rough palm to the front of his jeans.

"Sorry," I tell him as I pull in a deep calming breath, but, honestly, it’s getting hot in this damn truck.

I reach for the controls on the dash.

“Heat’s not on, Claire. That’s just you and me.”

“The windows are getting foggy,” I say, adjusting the defroster and hoping I got it right. The buttons in this vehicle are a lot more sophisticated than the ones in mine, which reminds me to ask about my clunker of a car. "Did you hear anything about the car today?"

He clears his throat, pressing his palm once more to his jeans in an effort to adjust himself before shifting to sit straight in his seat. "I haven't. Figure it might take a few days."

"Sounds expensive," I mutter, my good mood taking a dip.

"Boone is a reasonable man. He's angry at the world, but he doesn't take it out on others."

I pull my seatbelt across my body before Walker pulls out of the parking lot.

Kristina honks her horn as she drives past us, a smirk on her face telling me she saw just about everything that went on in here. I'm just grateful the truck is up high and she wouldn't have been able to see him adjusting himself.

"I love the blush, Claire," he says as he pulls out onto the main street. "But you shouldn't be embarrassed for being turned on right now. I'm a pretty sexy guy."

"Self-esteem is great, too," I tell him.

He winks at me when I look over at him, and I vow to not think about any of the negatives in my life as he carries me across town to pick up Larkin. I'll have plenty of time for that once I'm alone and unable to fall asleep later. There's no sense in ruining this time with him when there's nothing I can do about any of it right now.

He holds my hand all the way to Madison's house, and I don't bother to ask him to wait in the truck when we get there like I did with Nora this morning. Chase is his friend, and it would be awkward if he stayed out here.

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